The invention relates to a high-voltage distributor for ignition systems of internal combustion engines.
A high-voltage distributor is known comprising a distributor cap of insulating material with a center electrode and several fixed electrodes and a distributor rotor with a rotor electrode which rotates synchronously with a cam shaft of the associated internal combustion engine and establishes an electrical connection one-after-the-other between the center electrode and each of the fixed electrodes. The center electrode which is coaxial with respect to the axis of rotation of the distributor rotor has an axially displaceable pin resting in a cylindrical guide in the distributor cap which rests on a rotor electrode in the distributor rotor under the action of a precompressed compression spring to establish an electric contact with the distributor rotor.
For reasons of space available during the assembly of such high-voltage distributors, the distributor cap must be pushed laterally, that is to say radially with respect to the center electrode, onto the distributor housing containing the distributor rotor or onto the cylinder head so that it can then be connected to the distributor housing or the cylinder head in the centered end position, in which the pin, which in most cases consists of carbon or carbon-containing material and will subsequently be called carbon, is then placed onto the rotor electrode and is partially inserted into the distributor cap against the action of the compression spring. The carbon, which protrudes far out of the distributor cap in the unloaded state due to the compression-spring loading, can be radially loaded by rotor parts or engine parts or the distributor housing coming into contact with the carbon during the lateral insertion of the distributor cap, even a slight bending stress leading to fracture of the carbon.